What I've Always Known
by equalsMCsquare
Summary: End of season 9 Context: Morgan had a talking-to from JJ about wanting to run away from relationships at around the 6-month point More Context: Reid was shot in the season finale and targeted by the unsub in the hospital, and Morgan comes to get him and Garcia


Morgan sat alone in his apartment. It was the middle of the night, but between the travel through time zones and spontaneous office summons, the BAU team lived on an unconventional schedule. He swirled the deep red wine in his glass and sighed heavily. He took a sip and grimaced.

You see, Morgan didn't usually enjoy red wine. But tonight, Derek Morgan was attempting to channel his inner Jennifer Jareau. On a flight back from a case, she'd chewed him out rather thoroughly about his cold feet in his newest relationship… and every one before. At the time, Derek had brushed it off, and vowed to inject some new life in his relationship with Savannah.

And for a while, he was successful. It felt like the beginning again, two beautiful, young, successful people who had nothing in the world tying them down. The dates were amazing, the sex was hot and beautiful, and Savannah was someone Derek could see himself building a life with.

And yet…

Here he was on a late night after a traumatizing case, and the last place he wanted to be was at Savannah's apartment.

Derek sighed again. Took a deep sip of the win and didn't even notice the flavor this time. It was certainly stronger than he expected.

 _Sometimes you just want someone who understands._

And Derek knew just who it was.

"What's going on in here, baby boy?" Derek grinned as he walked into the hospital room, arms full of flowers.

Garcia squealed and came over to relieve him of his burden.

"Oh, these will brighten up the room splendidly!"

"Actually Garcia, flowers and other decorations have been proven to not improve moods of patients. Their friends and family, though—"

"Nice to see you're keeping your spirts up, Spence. Mama, take a break. Coiffe your hair, take yourself out, bring us back something nice. I'm sure I can entertain the boy genius on my own for the rest of the night."

Garcia looked torn between the company of her two favorite men and the possibility of a real bed. _Well_ , she reasoned _, A queen needs her beauty sleep_. She bid her boys adieu with a kiss on the cheek and a thorough check of the room.

" _Go,"_ Derek said laughing, shooing Garcia out. Derek closed the door behind her and let out a heavy breath. He locked eyes with Reid and they both cracked up. "What would we do without her?"

"I'd probably go without food and water more frequently than I already do, you'd probably be much more boring—"

"Hey! I resent that!"

"Sorry," Reid said. He managed to keep a straight face for a moment before cracking a smirk.

They joked and shared stories for a while before settling into a comfortable silence.

"How're you holding up in here, Reid? Seriously." Derek asked quietly.

"Mmm. The food is a little dry. And I finish every book Garcia brings me faster than she can possibly get new ones. Television should have a fast forward feature and this hospital needs better internet."

Derek just kept looking at him.

Reid sighed. "I'm sad that there's no way my mom can be told I'm here. What's she supposed to do? Leave her care facility to join me here, in an extremely emotionally stressful situation? I'm tired of leaning on my _coworkers_ to mean I'm not… entirely alone in here."

"We're family, Reid." Derek said quietly, not wavering from holding Reid's gaze

"I know. I just—we're not though, really. Gideon left. Emily left. They left us—they left me. And we always can—and we should! Don't get me wrong. JJ needs to think of Will, and Hotch needs to think of Jack. What else can they do? They can't sit with me in here. And eventually, you'll have to think of Savannah or you and Garcia will have to think of your next career moves, and maybe that'll be in New York."

Derek sat silently through Reid's vent. He looked at him for a long moment.

"Well, you've had time to think haven't you," Morgan cracked a small smile that Reid returned wryly. "You're not wrong though. We have to live our lives. You might meet a cute person who you decide to move your life around—don't look at me like that, it's happened before—you might find a higher calling with a think tank—again, don't look at me like I don't know you—look, baby boy. My point is, we only leave each other behind if we choose to. Alex chose us, and her man lives far away. They're fine. Hotch is a single dad. Maybe you'll do that, and decide not to move your life for the next 20 years. Who knows."

"I want to know."

Derek was quiet for a minute.

"Okay."

"Oh—okay?"

"We're in our early-30s. Nothing says we can't put our roots down now. We have the power to decide, Reid." Morgan said softly. He looked out the window, pensive. The streetlights below illuminated a few attendings on a smoke break, but offered no answers.

Spencer looked at Morgan skeptically.

"And… what do you decide Morgan?"

Silence.

"...Derek?"

Derek stayed quiet for a moment longer. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"You, baby boy."


End file.
